


Close the Circle, Around Again

by TheRamPaige



Series: Dream SMP Fics [5]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: :D, Abuse, Angst, Gen, Manipulation, Pandora's Vault, Prison!Dream, Tommy kicks his shit in a little bit, Violence, don't worry he doesn't succeed, green mans favourite activities you know, vindication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29641707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRamPaige/pseuds/TheRamPaige
Summary: Tommy is stuck in Pandora's Vault.It goes like you would probably expect.
Series: Dream SMP Fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2152728
Comments: 7
Kudos: 124





	Close the Circle, Around Again

There were over a million and a half plans bouncing around his skull, and not a single one of them would work.

That didn’t stop him from trying though, it never had before; he wished this world would value perseverance over entertainment for once.

Tommy frantically paced the edges of the dark and sweltering room, eyes flicking between the blocks in search of something, anything he could use. Some small little hole, or even a crack, he didn’t care. He had half a mind to try and rip the walls down himself, heavy as the mining fatigue weighed on him, but any pitiful blows he landed on the stone just made him feel more trapped.

Before long he was panting, hands soaked in the warm purple tears of crying obsidian, facing the back wall, throat hoarse from calling for Sam.

He  _ needed _ to leave, he couldn’t do this again, be stuck with  _ him _ again.

And yet, here he was.

He could feel the smugness in the air rolling off his cellmate, a familiar smog that filled his lungs like seawater.

Tommy shook his head, trying to focus solely on his own thoughts, to block it all out. Of course this would be easier if it didn’t seem like the bastard’s only intention was to be noticed.

Dream would not shut up, just prattling on in that soft and lilting tone that he  _ knew _ was intentional. He kept trying to reason with him, it would almost be funny if he wasn’t terrified.

“Come on, if you’re gonna be in here anyway we should try and make the most of it! I’ve been kinda lonely ya know, it’ll be nice to have a friend for a few days. You of all people would get that, right?” 

He drawled, slinking over to him, trying to lay a hand on his shoulder. Tommy couldn’t get to the other side of the room fast enough, refusing to let him near. He shot a withering glare over his shoulder. Dream laughed.

“Fuck off, you’re not gonna trick me. I want nothing to do with you, ever.”

“Well uh… haha, about that…you’re kinda stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”

Tommy scrubbed his hands over his face in frustration. He didn’t even want to look at him.

“Can you just be quiet? Stop talking, I don’t care what you say.”

Dream scoffed.

“Oh you do, come on now. Where’s my Tommy huh? I know you’re more fun than that...”

Again Dream stepped toward him, insisting on closing any distance Tommy tried to make between them. In retaliation, or maybe desperation, he stalked over to the lava curtain, sitting against the wall next to it with his knees pulled close to his chest. 

He gave a pointed stare into the smiling mask, a silent threat to leave this game for good, his only real leverage.

Dream stopped, familiar with the rules of his old favourite toy, backing off to rummage through his chest idly.

“...you’ll come around. You can never stand to be boring for long.”

Tommy stayed by lava for a while, stewing in his thoughts. Theoretically he had found the safest place in the cell (in his opinion), but no matter where he looked there was something to set him off; the obsidian, the lava, the too-low ceiling that made his chest feel tight. There was only one pop of colour in the room, a shade of green that incessantly drew his eyes and made him want to vomit and scream and apologize and- he didn’t even know anymore.

Closing his eyes didn’t do any good either. Dreams' voice was a constant, a sound he would never be able to sleep to, never be willing to drop his guard around, not to mention the lava’s constant sizzling and the startling pang of the mining fatigue being reapplied every few minutes. There was no peace.

It was torture, plain and simple. Torture that was certainly planned from the very beginning, because why wouldn’t it be. He was going to kill Sam when he got out of here, that was for sure.

He almost managed to dissociate, grasping at the edges of a solid enough daydream, when something hit him. He flinched violently, whirling to try and defend himself from whatever it was, but in the process he forgot where he was situated, accidentally flinging his arm out into the lava for a moment.

The pain was instant, familiar, and all consuming. He shrieked and brought his arm close to his chest, practically curling around it in an effort to smother the flames, and from panicked instinct. He could smell it cooking and his stomach lurched.

It was just… it was too much. Too many awful things that didn’t need to happen, too many picture perfect nightmares set up just for him. Too much homesickness stinging the backs of his eyes. White hot pain lanced through him as he was pulled away from the lava to sprawl on the floor, and he didn’t have the heart to try not to pass out.

He woke up underwater.

Coughing and wheezing he scrambled for purchase against the edge of the small hole, trying to pull himself out, but it  _ hurt _ . His limbs were leaden, his head was spinning, his arm was burning. Distantly he could hear someone he wished he didn’t. He slipped back under the surface, too weak to save himself. Maybe it was for the best.

Hands grabbed him under the arms and flung him onto hard stone. There would be no rest, not that easily. He was forced onto his stomach, trying to gulp down air as water fell out of his mouth. The hands were there again, brushing soaked hair out of his eyes, patting his back softly as he heaved. Maybe if he was allowed the comfort of only semi-awareness it would have been nice.

Instead the pieces clicked into place rather quickly. These hands were rough, they gripped his wrists too hard, they were always on his shoulders or his head or in his hair- never leaving him alone. 

The only one who never left him alone. 

With what strength he could muster, Tommy rolled himself away on his uninjured side, dragging himself up to sit on his knees. His arm was killing him, ugly blisters screaming for attention, and he clutched it tightly to his chest, defending it with his other arm.

Dream stared down at him standing over by the respawn water pit in the corner, head tilted in confusion.

“Don’t touch me, do not fucking touch me again- do you hear me?!” Tommy growled.

Dream raised his hands placatingly, taking a step forward. Tommy practically hissed.

“I was only trying to help. Come here, you should soak in here for the burns, they’ll feel better.”

He was speaking ever so softly. Tommy wanted to throttle him.

“Shut the fuck up!”

Dream sighed, exasperated, only advancing faster. There was a wall behind him, he realized. There were walls everywhere. He needed Sam, he needed Phil, Wilbur, anyone.

“You’re being an idiot, I’m your friend Tommy, and I’m helping you. Come over here.”

“No! Don’t get any closer I swear to god I’ll-”

Dream reached down and took hold of his burnt wrist, dragging him back to the corner. He cried out, trying to get out of his grip, but the pain and disorientation made it all but impossible.

“You’ll what, Tommy? What exactly are you going to do?”

“S-stop! That hurts Dream, let go!”

“You can’t leave, suck it up. You’re just going to make this more difficult on everyone by being a problem again.”

He was thrown arm first into the corner, landing hard on his side, on the burns. He instantly tried to make a break for the lava again, but Dream was fast, blocking his path and shoving him back down with his foot.

“Haha, not this time! Go on, dunk your arm, it’s soothing.”

It was so evident at this point that he was just playing, bouncing on the balls of his feet, tone light and airy- he could hear the smile on his lips. Like all of this meant nothing.

Maybe it didn’t mean anything, the universe seemed to be sending that message loud and clear; nothing he did mattered because he would always end up here, under someone's foot.

Well message received, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be pissed off about it.

Tommy dragged himself to his feet, stifling a wince, glowering.

“I don’t need ‘soothing’ Dream, I need you to leave me alone. I already told you I’m not playing whatever fucked up game you’re trying to pull. I’m done.” He spat.

Dream burst out in a bitter cackle.

“You act like it’s a choice! This is our destiny Tommy, it’s a circle. It never ends, since the start of everything. You know this, everybody does! This is our story, hero and villain, and it- AGH!”

Tommy kicked him  _ hard _ in the shins, punctuating the exchange with a good hard shove before booking it to his place next to the lava. He sidled up nice and close, daring Dream to get closer.

There was a beat where he tensed, but Dream only giggled softly from his place splayed on the floor.

“Always interesting Theseus, excellent.”

Tommy rolled his eyes, crouching back into his sitting position.

“Fucking psycopath…” he muttered.

It was going to be a long week.


End file.
